Dear District Six Residents,

I would like to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! It is hard to believe that another year is almost over.

I am pleased with the progress that Council is making on many issues. It would be great if things could be accomplished much faster, however, maybe it is good that things move slowly. It gives Councillors plenty of time to explore all aspects of an issue.

In order to ensure that the public is better informed, it was decided that the Municipality should produce a periodic newsletter. The first newsletter was sent out in October 2009. It contained a lot of information that you may need to refer to from time to time; therefore, I hope you saved it for future reference.

Economic Development:
Last Fall Council identified a number of strategic priorities. At every opportunity, we have made the Premier and Gov’t Ministers aware of our priorities in order to get their support. Council lobbied the Provincial Gov’t hard to get a resolution on the Shelburne shipyard issues. It seems that there has been a successful outcome on this issue. Progress is also being made on some of our strategic priorities. We received funding to develop a new sewage treatment plant near the old one in Sandy Point which is due to be replaced. It is planned that the new sewage treatment plant will have enough capacity to service a new industrial development park located near the shipyard, Sandy Point. The Municipality is currently working on acquiring the land for the industrial park. This information only covers some of our projects. You may wish to review the information on the Municipality website if you would like more details.

Health Care:
Council has been aggressively working on all avenues to resolve our doctor shortage. In the Spring, we convened a special meeting of Council to develop a strategic plan for physician recruitment. I believe that if we are to solve the physician shortage we must confront all of the political obstacles that are preventing us from having a full slate of doctors and other medical personnel. This process has begun.

Unfortunately Dr. Heidar Sadeghi (Dr. Henry) decided not to move to Shelburne; however, Dr. Charles has just arrived and begun work. He will only be working at the Roseway Hospital ER. This should ensure that the ER is open for longer periods. A second new doctor will be moving here shortly.

Tips:
I hope that everyone who was eligible for the reduction in their property taxes applied to the Municipality and the Province as required. Currently, the Heat Smart program is underway for low income residents. If you have any questions regarding any of these programs, please contact me or the Municipal office for more information.

Financial Information:
For the 2009/2010 Council produced a very progressive budget which included some money for capital investments. Since the Federal and Provincial Gov’ts require that all projects be funded one third each, it is necessary for the Municipality to have Capital Reserves if we want to get funding for projects. During a recent meeting with the Mayor of Queens County, we were informed that since they amalgamated they have been able to complete $36,000,000 in capital projects. This is very impressive. It would appear that the people of Queens County have benefitted from amalgamation.

As you are probably aware, the Municipality of Shelburne proposed to the other Municipal Gov’ts in Shelburne County that we explore the opportunities for amalgamation. So far, it appears that there has been a mixed response from the other Municipalities. I am interested in your views on this subject. Please feel free to call or email me.

Community Improvement:
I would like to thank all of the community volunteers who devoted a lot of time to making our community a better place to live this past year. I do not know everyone who volunteers in our community; therefore, I cannot thank you individually. I am very sincere when I say thank you. Further, I hope that you will permit me to single out one group to thank for their contribution to our community over this past year. I refer to the West Green Harbour Recreation Association. I believe that this group has devoted a considerable amount of time over the past year. Thank you very much!

Meeting:
I will be hosting a public meeting on Thursday, December 10th, 2009 at 7:00 PM at the former St. Peter’s Church Hall in West Green Harbour to discuss any issues you would like to discuss.

Please call me if you have any municipal issues to discuss.

Yours Respectfully,

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